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The number of people receiving substance use disorder services since Measure 110 took effect has increased sharply, according to new data the Oregon Health Authority released Thursday.
Gains were made across all service areas, including harm reduction, treatment, peer support and housing services. Peer support numbers, for example, went from 5,000 people served to 17,000 over a five-quarter period. There were 10,000 clients in treatment in the most recent quarter, up from 2,000 in the first quarter in which data was collected.
The report covers data and expenditures from service providers from July 1, 2022, when the first Behavioral Health Resource Network was established, through Sept. 30, 2023.
Measure 110, passed by voters in 2020, decriminalized possession of small amounts of street drugs and directed million of dollars in cannabis tax revenue to substance use-related services. It also established Behavioral Health Resource Networks, made up of a variety of providers, throughout the state.
With overdose deaths and public use on the rise, however, lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year to re-criminalize possession, a move that met with fierce opposition from those who believe Measure 110 needs more time to show results.
Altogether, Measure 110 providers reported 267,000 encounters for people seeking peer support services and 220,000 encounters for substance use treatment.
The state's dashboard breaks down the data by geographic regions, age, gender and other demographic measures. It also shares client success stories. One narrative reads as follows: "We approached someone on the side of the road who was highly intoxicated and crying who said he had been trying to get into treatment for a month. We were able to call and set him up an assessment on the spot and start that process for him, though a follow-up was not available because he had no way of communicating with us, but hopefully, this was a start for his journey in recovery."